Drum mixer with power-operated discharge positioning means



1954 E. H. LICHTENBERG ET AL ,668,6 5

DRUM MIXER WITH POWER-OPERATED DISCHARGE POSITIONING MEANS Filed Feb. 27, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l 1954 E. H. LICHTENBERG ET AL 2,668,695

DRUM M ER WITH WER-OFERATED DISC RGE POSI ONING MEANS Filed Feb. 27 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS.

ZZZ, M 5

lax/$1M M 1954 E. H. LICHTENBERG ET AL 2,668,695

DRUM MIXER WITH POWER-OPERATED DISCHARGE POSITIONING MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 27, 1951 f? W w INVEN n u a a III/III l III/II Patented Feb. 9, 1954 UN ITED ESTATES 2,668,695 DRUM WiTH rowclt oritimiiiii DISCHARGE POSITIONING MEANS Erich .Li'ehtenberg, Milwaukee and Daniel J ones, 'Port Washington; Wis, assignors to Kwik-Mix Gompany, Port Washington; Wis.

Application February 27, 1951, Serial No. 212,994

'7 Glaims. (015259- -"1'7'19 This invention relates to portable mixers and more particularly to that class of mixers known as mortar or plaster mixers.

In the known type of plaster or mortar mixers as used at the present time, the same are generally constructed so as to use a very great amount of energy on the part of the operator thereof to move the drum in which the materials are mixed intodischarg'ingposition, because the Weight of the material is :largely'suppor'ted at the bottom of the :drum, the mixing blades operating inasmanner so :asto ,pass through the materials being mixed. Ina-addition, most of the mixers of this-type use complicated gearing arrangements for driving the drum from a suitable motor provided-therefor, which necessitates use of clutches, which are expensive to manufacture and to maintain It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a mixer which will be-of simple construction and which will eliminate the necessity for use of the generally known type of clutch, and in addition to provide novel means for assisting the drum emptying operation.

it is a further object of'this invention to provide 'a mechanism in which the resistance to turning movement of the mixing blades is availed of through suitable gearing to assist therotation or the mixing drum into discharging position.-

It is a further object of this invention to pro= vide simple clutching means, whereby the drive may be directly effected to the mixing blades and discontinued at will, without the use of comp-lieated clutching structures.

It is a still further object of thisinventionto so arrange the reduction gear transmission of the same whereby the power is transmitted from the motor to the mixing blades, so as to avail of the resistance to turning movement of the pinion's and gears used in the transmission housing or gear case, to assist the operator in rotating the mixing drum into discharging position;

it is a still further object of this invention to so arrange and construct the gear reduction mechanism as to effect virtuauy a power drivers the mixing drum, for moving the mixing blades therein, and at the same time use the same power drive to effect the" rotation of the mixing drum into discharging position.

Other and further objects of this invention will beset forth ineonjunction with the description herein and illustrated in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a View in side-elevationof a-niixer incorporating the features or thisd-nvention, partof the 'enclosing housing for the motor and drive being shown in section.

2 Figure '2 is an end or Figure 1 showing the relationship of the nous 'in'stiiiiiientali'ti's including the motor, transmission or gear case, and the mixing drum "mending the mixing paddies therein, mounted upon a suitable chassis for movement of the same from place to place.

Figure '3 is a perspective view partially illustrated; showing the general relationship of the parts and illustrating more particularly the simple clutching arrangement provided. 7

.Figure 4 .is a fragmentary perspective view showing the locking means tor the drum.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the transmission or gear case and the various gears and pinions used therein, the same being illustrated in its position in relationship to the drum which is partially illustrated. I

Figure 6 is a detailed fragmentary view of a portion of the latching'or locking mechanism.

Referring now to Figures -1 and 2, it will be noted that a frame, generally designated l i com prised of side angles 2 and'il, is-provided, the same being of relatively narrow width and adapted to be supported for travel movement by :a pair of wheels 4 and 5. The wheels 4 and 5 are suitably mounted in brackets '6 and 1 fastened in any well-known manner to the frame .membersat opposite ends thereof. The stabilizing leg 18 is provided to maintain the frame 'I in generally level position for mixing purposes; The machine may be provided with a removable towing npol'e member :9 for purposes of transporting thesame from job to job.

Above the frame I a drumzgenerally designated H) is shown as being mounted upon trunnion member supports I I and 1 2 at -:oppos'ite :ends ofthe drum and suitably fastened to the frame by means of the'bolts .I 3. The drum I0iscomprised of a generally cylindrical body portion 14 and includes the ends t5 and [6. The upper part of the drum, as shown in Figure 2, is provided with an opening tl irou'gh which material may 'be'" dumped into the machine, to be mixed, and a discharge chute :IJ 'isalso' provided to direct the materials intoconveyances aiter they have been 1116118 20 21 at opposite ends 15hel ffof. The

otally supported at 23 in an angle near the trun- V nion supporting member I I and also pivotally supported in an ear 24 fixed to the frame I. Intermediate the members 23 and 24 a female latching member 25 is integrally fixed to the handle member 22 and adapted to be rotated thereby into latching or looking and unlocking position. A male latching member 26 is provided and suitably fixed to the drum whereby engagement of the members 25 and 26 will maintain the said drum in its mixing position. In order to normally maintain the members 25 and 25 in their engaged position suitable spring arm member 27 is provided. The spring arm member 21 is substantially L-shaped and as shown in Figures 1 and 6, is adapted to be engaged with the handle member 22 in a hole therein. The other end of the spring arm member 21 extends through an opening in the trunnion member II and is provided with a coil spring 28 maintained upon the member?! by means of a cotter pin or other fastening device 29. It will therefore be obvious that the normal tendency of the lever 22 will be to maintain the members 25 and 26 in engagement by means of the spring 28.

At the end of the frame opposite that upon which the mixing drum I9 is supported, a suitable motor generally designated 35, is provided. The motor 30 is mounted upon a base 3! extending across the frame I and pivotally connected with the frame to the member 2 thereof I by means of the brackets 32 and 33 which are provided with a shaft 34 extending therebetween and upon which suitable arms 35a fastened to the base 3| are connected. It will therefore be noted that the base 3! is pivotally connected to the frame I and a movement of the base 3i around the pivot 34 may be effected. This movement is efiected for purposes which will be set forth hereinafter and by means of a clutch unit generally designated 35. The clutch unit 35 includes, as will be seen from a consideration of Figure 3, a handle 35 integrally connected to a shaft 31 extending along the frame and mounted thereon in ears 38 and 39 connected to frame member of the frame I. Adjacent the end of the shaft 31 near 39 an arm 45 is provided, the same being integrally fastened to the shaft 3'! and at the end opposite the handle 36. At the outer end of the arm 40 a roller 4] is pivotally fastened thereto, adapted to be moved into the positions shown in Figures 2 and 3 respectively for lowering and raising the base 3| as desired.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 5, there is illustrated a transmission housing or gear case unit generally designated 42, the same being mounted, as will be subsequently set forth, for pivotal movement as a whole about the axis of the drum, the axis of the drum including therein the shaft 43 upon which the mixing blades 44 (see Figure 2) are mounted for rotation upon arms fixed to the shaft 43 in accordance with generally conventional construction. The transmission unit 42 includes housing 45 and a cover 46 suitably engaged therewith by means of the fastening members 41 so as to provide a sealed encasement for the gear train new to be described.

Spaced from the mixing blade drive shaft 43, radially, and fixed to the end l5 of the drum I0 is a stub-shaft 4B, which extends into the housing 45. Supported on an extension of the shaft 43 on the bearing portion 49 thereof is a suitable driven pulley 59 adapted to be engaged by the V-belt 5! (see Figures 1 and 2), the V-belt likewise being trained over the drive pulley 52 of the motor 30, whereby the pulley 58 may be driven thereby.

The pulley 56 is rotatably mounted on the portion 49 of the shaft 43 on bearings 5| and includes the hub-portion 52 extending inwardly of the cover 46 and supporting at its inner end a pinion 53 for rotation by the pulley, the same being fastened to the pulley by means of a suitable key or the like. The pinion 53 is in turn engaged with the gear 54, the latter being supported on a shaft 55 journaled in a bearing 56 in the cover 46 and in a bearing 51 in the housing 45. The gear 54 is keyed by a key 58 to the shaft 55 and spaced inwardly therefrom a pinion 59 is likewise fixed to the shaft 55 as by keying or the like, so as to rotate therewith. The pinion 53 is in turn engaged with a gear 60 keyed to an extension 6| of the shaft 43, so as to impart rotative movement to the latter at reduced speed from the movement of the pulley 50 as effected by the drive pulley 52 on the motor 30.

It will be seen from the foregoing that a large reduction in speed has been provided from the pulley 52 to the shaft 43 by means of the transmission unit 42 just described. It will also be noted that the reduced driving speed of the shaft 43 will carry the blades 44 to eifect mixing operation of the latter in accordance with the usual practice. These mixing blades 44 are rotated in the direction of the arrow A of Figure 2 to effect the mixing operation.

Referring now to Figure 2, the operation of the mixer will be set forth, wherein the rotation of the mixing blades 44 during their mixing operation, through the transmission unit 42, will have a tendency to rotate the drum I0 in the direction of the arrow 62. This action may be explained and will be easily understood by reason of the fact that as the pinion 59 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 63 in Figure 2, the same will of course impart rotation to the blades 44 and shaft 43 carrying the same, in the direction of the arrow 64 in said figure. With the materials to be mixed in place in the drum Ill, there will of course be a reaction and a tendency on the part of the material to slow down the blades 44 in their mixing operation and this resistance to rotation thereof will be carried back through the gear .54 and the pinion 59, and in effect cause the gear 59 to attempt to crawl bodily in the direction of the arrow 65. The crawling effect will of course be imparted to the drum ID by reason of the fact that the said drum is connected to the axis upon which the gear 59 rotates by means of the shaft 48, if this action were permitted to be effected by release of the lock or latching mechanism l9 previously described.

As a matter of practice it has been found that the pinion tooth pressure amounts to about onethousand pounds when the machine is using approximately five horse-power as delivered by the engine 38. This force on the drum is greater than that of the blades against the drum, by reason of the fact that some of the force driving the blades is used up in plowing through the material being mixed and is therefore not transferred to the drum. Since the pinion exerts greater force on the drum, the same will move into discharge position @by itself when the latch unit 19 is operated so as to release member 2. from its engagement with member 25 on the drum.

When the materials have been discharged through the chute H, the reaction forces will drop very materially, in fact to practically nothing, and therefore the drum may be rotated to its mixing position as shown in Figure 2 by means of the handle [8 with very little effort on the part of the operator.

During the course of the mixing operation, and if it becomes necessary to stop the same at any time during 'such operation, the lever 35 may be moved into the position shown in Figure 3, whereby the motor base 3!, upon which the motor 30 is supported may be moved to the position shown in Figure 3, whereby the tension on the V-belt 5!! will be released and thus in effect declutching operation is accomplished. Of course, subsequent movement of the lever 36 so as to lower the base 3| about the pivot 34 will again impart tension on the V-belt 5B and the mixing operation will be again commenced.

In View of the foregoing, it will be clear that by the novel mounting of the transmission unit 42 upon the axis of rotation of the mixing drum and the blades therein, with the housing connected at a point radially spaced from the said axis, a novel power discharge operation may be imparted to the drum Ill, whereby little or no effort is required on the part of the operator to effect complete discharge of the mixed materials in the drum.

In View of the novel arrangement for what may be substantially described as a power discharge operation of materials being mixed in a mortar mixer or the like, it should be additionally noted that the novel arrangement of parts provides a very smooth operating mixing machine and in addition removes substantially all of the strains normally imparted to the frame thereof, including vibration effects which are destructive, and provides a very smooth running machine which may be constructed of considerably lighter materials in general than those presently availed of, and yet further provides an equally effective mixing machine for the purposes described.

It will be apparent that the quantity of material being mixed in the drum and the gear ratios will determine the force which is available to rotate the drum to discharging position. Thus if a large quantity of material is being mixed in the drum, a proportionately large amount of resistance to movement of the blades will be available to react through the transmission unit. As the materials are being discharged this force will decrease until it becomes substantially zero.

Therefore, a careful determination of the forces and ratios will enable design of the transmission unit to carry out the primary object of this invention and will be resorted to for various sizes of mixers.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a mixer of the class described, in combination, a frame, a rotatable mixing drum carried thereby, mixing means in said drum, said drum tending to rotate responsive to forces transmitted thereto by the mixing means through the material being mixed, means for translating resistance to movement of the mixing means into drum rotating power comprising a transmission a unit supported on the rrairre permeated ito drive said mixing means-and having ,a separate icon- 'nection to the drum at a point spaced .from the axis thereof, said connection being "movable with the drum, power drive means for said zunit, means for maintaining the drum :in po sition.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1., :in which the last means comprises latch means to prevent rotation of said drum into discharge .position and releasable to permit said rotation.

3. In a mixer of the class "described, incomhination, a mixing drum, 'meansfor supporting said drum for movement to charging and discharging positions, mixing means in said drum, said drum tending to rotate in one direction responsive to forces transmitted thereto by the mixing means through the material being mixed, drive means for the mixing means and for translating resistance to mixing movement of the mixing means into drum rotating power comprising a transmission unit intermediate said mixing and driving means, said transmission unit comprising speed reducing elements to drive the mixing means, a

separate connection of the unit with the mixing,

drum at a point spaced from the connection of the elements and mixing means to compel movement of the unit with the drum, said drum rotating power being applied to the drum in an opposite direction to that above mentioned, and means for maintaining the drum in mixing position.

4. A combination as claimed in claim 3, in which the last means comprises means to prevent movement of said drum.

5. In a mixer of the class described, in combination, a mixing drum, means supporting said drum for movement to charging and discharging positions, mixing means in said drum including blades, a shaft connected with said blades and extending outside said drum, said drum tending to rotate responsive to forces transmitted thereto by the mixing means through the material being mixed, means for translating resistance to mixing movement of said mixing blades into drum rotating power comprising a transmission unit mounted on said shaft, means connecting said unit and said drum for simultaneous movement, means for preventing movement of said unit, and drive means for said unit, said unit including speed reducing elements.

6. In a mixer of the class described, in combination, a mixing drum, trunnions at opposite ends of said drum, supporting means for said trunnions, a shaft engaging said trunnions and supporting said drum, mixing members in said drum and mounted on said shaft, said drum tending to rotate responsive to forces transmitted thereto by the mixing means through the material being mixed, means for translating resistance to mixing movement of the mixing members into drum rotating power comprising a speed reducing gear unit mounted for rotation on said shaft at one end of the drum, including a housing therfor, a connection between said drum and housing spaced from the shaft aforesaid, means for controlling movement of said drum, and driv means for said gear unit.

7. In a mixer of the class described, in combination, a support, a drum mounted on said support, a shaft for said drum, mixing means in the drum connected to the shaft, said drum tending to rotate responsive to forces transmitted thereto by the mixing means through the material being mixed, means for translating resistance to move- .ment of the mixing means into drum rotating power including a transmission unit comprising a housing pivotally carried on said shaft, a gear train including at least a small pinion and a larger gear meshing therewith, the housing being connected to the drum at a point near the axis of the small pinion, means for controlling rotation of said drum, and power drive means for the transmission unit, the power drive means tending to efiect pinion travel around the periphery of said gear when the movement of the mixing means is resisted.

ERICH H. LICH'I'ENBERG.

DANIEL C. JONES.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Essick Mar. 23, 1926 Jaeger Apr. 15, 1929 Longenecker Mar. 8, 1932 Fleischmann Mar. 15, 1949 Foster Feb. 21, 1950 Polak Oct. 31, 1950 

